MINNEAPOLIS — What is it about the Kansas City Royals that seemingly makes them Bailey Ober’s kryptonite?

Typically the Twins’ most consistent starting pitcher throughout his four-year career, Ober has now had two blow-up outings against the Royals, this time allowing six runs in five innings as part of the Twins’ 6-1 loss at Target Field on Wednesday.

After a disastrous season debut in which Ober allowed eight runs to the Royals on nine hits in a career-low 1 1/3 innings, he didn’t have many answers — and two months later, it appeared that he still was puzzled for the solution to whatever it is about Kansas City that gives him fits.

“Whenever I throw against them, it seems to go that way right now,” Ober said. “But yeah, it’s frustrating. It sucks when you go out there — I mean, every time I go out there, I’m expecting to be able to turn in a good outing. And lately, that hasn’t turned out that way against those guys over there.”

The long ball sunk Ober on Wednesday, as it did in his season opener, with Nelson Velázquez going deep twice and Salvador Perez hitting a homer and double as part of the Royals’ six-run outburst, a rarity when the big right-hander is on the mound — except, it seems, when he’s facing Kansas City.

Here’s a sample of what that has looked like:

• Ober has allowed six homers in two starts against the Royals this season, and four homers in nine starts against everyone else.

• Ober has allowed 14 runs in 6 1/3 innings in those two starts against the Royals this season, and 17 runs in 50 2/3 innings against everyone else.

• Among Ober’s 68 career starts, he has allowed six or more runs only three times. All three of those starts have come against Kansas City.

• Ober has a 7.71 ERA in nine career starts against the Royals, and a 3.36 ERA against everyone else. He has been highly effective against the rest of the division, with a 3.63 ERA in 11 starts against Chicago, a 2.53 ERA in six starts against Cleveland, and a 4.21 ERA in nine starts against Detroit.

Ober and manager Rocco Baldelli insisted that there doesn’t seem to be much of an explanation for why Kansas City continues to give him fits, and these are hardly the biggest of sample sizes. But if there’s any semblance of an explanation for it, it’s perhaps that the Royals have been better at eliminating Ober’s offspeed pitches than other teams.

He drastically cut down on his fastball usage in this outing, throwing it with only 38% of his pitches, as compared to 49% of his offerings in his season opener. But the Royals were still on it, with both Velázquez and Perez waiting out Ober’s fastball to drive it in the two-run fifth inning.